Austin’s Birth Story

I want to start by saying I am 45 years old and this is my first child. My pregnancy went perfectly and I only gained 30 pounds. I ate healthy and continued to exercise through out my pregnancy. I began using Hypnobabies at 18 weeks. I have always been a big believer in the power of suggestion and positive affirmations so I was sure that this was going to work for me.

I was just 2 days short of 37 weeks along. It was a Saturday morning around 3AM when my water started leaking. At 3PM I called my midwife to speak to her about the best course of action (if any) since I had not really had any pressure waves yet and was still 3 weeks before my guess date. She recommended I go to the hospital to get tested to ensure that it was in fact my water that had broken because it seemed like such a slow leak.

I arrived at the hospital around 5:30PM. I was tested; my water was leaking and I was only 1cm dilated! I was checked in to the hospital to monitor the baby to ensure he was OK. He was doing great. I didn’t want an IV and originally agreed to a heplock but I consented to the IV with an antibiotic only because the results of my GBS test had not come back yet and my water had ruptured.

I didn’t want to be induced so I requested that we wait to see if my body would begin pressure waves on their own before attempting any induction. I put my headphones on and began listening to hypnobabies to try to get things going. By 9:30PM there was still no change and no pressure waves. My midwife and I decided to try cervidil to help my body move things along.

I got hardly any sleep on Saturday night because the LDR bed was really uncomfortable; I was hooked up to the monitors and had an IV in my arm. In addition, I really don’t like hospitals. The next morning at 9:30AM I was checked again and I was still only 1cm dilated. There was no change. I was so disappointed that there was no natural progression even with all my attempts at relaxation. Although my baby was still doing well my midwife was concerned because my water had naturally ruptured over 30 hours ago so we decided to induce with pitocin.

Immediately my headphones were glued to my ears as I listened to all my Hypnbabies tracks. Pressure waves began slowly around 10AM. At first they felt like I was doing a crunch without moving and as time passed they progressed. Around 2PM the nurse told my husband to go get something to eat because “it was going to be a while”. I thought my pressure waves were progressing nicely but I was so exhausted after not sleeping for the last 2 nights that I needed a break. So I pulled off my headphones and the pressure waves slowed a little to give me a break but shortly afterward they came on so fast and furious it was like a freight train barreling through my body.

20 minutes later I told my midwife I didn’t think I could do this. She said “lets just wait until your husband gets back from lunch and we’ll check how far along you are”. I don’t think they had any idea how far along I was. I replied “I don’t think I can wait”. She agreed to check me right away. As she was checking me I recall her turning to the nurse and saying “Get her husband back in here NOW..SHE’S GOING TO HAVE THE BABY”. I was already 9.5cm dilated. They called my husband, he dropped his lunch and ran back to the hospital and arrived just in time. I was squatting at the edge of the delivery table hanging on to the bar.

I remember the nurse saying “Do you feel pressure like you have to move your bowels and I replied “it’s time for me to push”. In 2 pushes the baby crowned…I don’t think I was comfortable anymore as I was tired and cranky and just wanted to see my baby. At this point I said to my midwife “just pull him out” and she replied “I can’t grab his ears yet” (she’s certainly has a sense of humor). 2 more pushes and my precious little munchkin was in my arms. It was 2:44PM on Sunday.

It was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had and my baby was exactly as I had envisioned. I believe that Hypnobabies was instrumental in a quick and comfortable birthing. From the first contraction to the birth of my baby boy was 4 hours and 44 minutes. I was calm and comfortable until just before the baby crowned. At which point I was still calm but I don’t think I can say I was comfortable any more.

I hope my story is as inspiring to everyone that reads it as their stories were to me. I am so thankful for having hypnobabies and an awesome midwife with a sense of humor.